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Premiere: Grand Theatre, London, Ontario

"Peter Colley's The Donnellys is a personal Canadian favourite."
Mike Ross - Times Square Chronicles

The National Arts Center Ottawa (left) and The Roxy at Owen Sound
- 2013 (right)

The premiere production was performed at The
Grand Theatre, London, Ontario
and the National Arts Centre, Ottawa. It was directed by Heinar Piller,
Set Design: Anton Dimitrov, Costumes: Olga Dimitrov, Music: Berthold Carriere

2013 - THE ROXY PRODUCTION
SELLS OUT - PERFORMANCES ADDED!

Second Production: The National Arts Centre, Ottawa
"Canada's Home For The Performing Arts"

THE STORY: The Donnellys is based on Canada's most infamous true
story. A story that has grown in the telling with each generation since
the events that shook the little village of Lucan in 1880 and caused a sensation
around the
world. Why did the god-fearing residents of a small pioneer town rise
up one night and slaughter an entire family as they lay sleeping?
Why did a veil of silence descend over the town, so that even though forty sets
of footprints were found at the scene, nobody was ever convicted of the
murders? And why has the code of silence lasted to this day? The play sets out to answer these questions, going back into the
blood-feuds of old Ireland and tracing the passions and hatreds that fueled this
deadly tragedy.

Tom Celli and Pat Collins at the National Arts Centre

Wayne Burnett as "Tim Mulligan" at the National Arts Centre

PRODUCTION
HISTORY:
The play was commissioned and
dramaturged by Heinar Piller the Artistic Director of The Grand
Theatre in London (Ontario, Canada), where it received its premiere.
The drama broke the theatre's 70-year-old box office
records selling 99.69% of capacity in the historic 1100 seat former opera house
- proving
to be the most successful play in the theatre’s history.
Almost 20,000 tickets were sold and 20,000 were
turned away after the run sold out, despite an extension, so the play was
remounted the following season and then transferred to The National Arts
Centre in Ottawa where Mr. Colley was one of the youngest playwrights ever
produced at Canada's national theatre. In the first two years it was seen
by over 50,000 people. Numerous productions across Canada
followed. It was published by MacMillans (Anthology) and Simon
& Pierre (now The Dundurn Press). It is required reading for certain
schools and universities - a portion was filmed by TV Ontario for educational
programming and also by Maclean Hunter Television. It has also
been performed in the United States. In 2011 it received a major new
production at Rep21 in North Bay and at Theatre Passe Muraille in Toronto,
resulting in an updating of the text by the author, and new music.
In 2013 there was a hit production at The Roxy in Owen Sound, where the
show sold out and was extended - the first time the Roxy has extended a
regular season show in 40 years.

“I found
The Donnellys an outstanding and intense experience... an exciting and
original work of theatre! With
this production The Grand Theatre has
finally “arrived.”"Rick Wellwood - CFPL TV

“The
play’s portrait of a shameful past is both powerful and disturbing... a
strong and unrelenting script... very moving... a dark display of evil...
overwhelming emotions of fear, passion and hatred... left a lasting impact
that should fill us with shame and dread.”David Barber - Kingston Standard

“Grandly
soars... full-bodied, full of lurid verse and high excitement! It
is a proud contribution to local culture.”Herbert Whittaker - Toronto Globe &
Mail

“One feels
that comment on this production is almost superfluous after the rave
reviews and sell-out crowds The Donnellys drew. The
production was for myself a moving experience... nothing short of
superb.” East London News

“Peter
Colley’s The Donnellys, which began a run at the National Arts Centre, is a stirring drama... fascinating as fictionalised history.”Maureen Peterson - Ottawa Journal

“The
Donnellys brought to me a valuable, personal and literary interpretation
of both life and history.” Mary Kowaltschuk - London Free Press

“I saw two
performances (of the The Donnellys) and was deeply moved by the play... it
was a hit!”Herman
Voaden Editor: In Preface to “Look Both Ways”

“The
Donnellys is the best piece of community-oriented theatre in Ontario.”Gordon Sinclair - Canadian Broadcasting
Corporation (CBC).

"Murderous tale a popular stage hit... this play shows what hate can do to honest people." Owen Sound Sun-Times By Denis Langlois

Click on Review for larger version

“In The
Donnellys, I wondered why Colley’s sweeping lyrics couldn’t be lifted
and used as narrative poetry in the schools. They’re
utterly grand reading... the saga of the Donnellys could come to life the
same way as The Highwayman has for schoolchildren.”Jeniva
Berger - Scene Changes Magazine

"We
closed our production of The Donnellys last night, thrilled to have been
immersed in the world of your play for the last few months. It is
probably the most challenging work we’ve undertaken and it was met with
an outstanding response from our audience. Thank you for writing such an
accessible, inspiring text. My students grew immeasurably from their
experiences during this project."Vancouver Secondary School